Sheet treating machine



Feb. 16, 1943.

c. s. WOOLFORD SHEET TREATING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 1941 BYZ 4 o0 34..., g g f WK; .ATTOENEYS Feb.- 16, 1943.

r c. s. WOOLFORD SHEET TREATING MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I ENTO W ATTOENEY$ Patented Feb. 16, 194s UNITED STATES \LPATENT' orr ca Y 2,311,014 sneer raaa'rmo moms Custis S. Woolford, South Orange, N. J., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 5, 1941, Serial No. 421,854

r v 5 Claims. The present invention relates to a machine for treating predetermined portions of metallic sheet material with a deoxidizing medium and has particular reference to devices for preventing splashing of the deoxidizing medium on those portions of the sheet which are not to be treated.

Sheet metal containers or cans are sometimes made from untinned iron or steel plate. Where the side seams of such cans are to be soldered, at least the seam areas must be treated before the solder will hold and usually the metal is deoxidized in order to prepare the can surface for the solder. This sometimes is effected by flowing a stream of liquid deoxidizing medium over body blank surfaces to be soldered. The excess medium is caught in'a drip tank and is used again. In circulating the liquid through automatic machines for performing the deoxidizing operation, air is sometimes entrained with the liquid and this air and the dripping of th liquid into the drip tank causes splashing of the liquid onto portions of the blanks which arenot to be deoxidized and thus mars or defaces the blanks.

The instant invention contemplates overcomingthis difficulty by providing a vent for the stream of deoxidizing liquid anda grid adjacent the sheet or blank to protect the -same against splashing of the deoxidizing medium.

- An object, therefore, of the invention is the provision in a machine forflowing a liquid deoxidizing medium over a portion .of metallic sheets; of anti-splash deviceswherein the liquid as it flows across the sheet'is maintained in a smooth even stream and drips off into a guarded drip tank so that splashing of the liquid onto other portions of. the sheet is prevented.

Another object is the provision in such a machine of vent devices wherein the supply line feeding the stream of liquid deoxidizing medium to the sheets is relieved of any air entrained in stood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a deoxidizing machine embodying the instant invention, with parts broken away;

Fi 2 is an enlarged transverse section taken substantially along the line 2-2 in Fig. l, with parts broken away and Fig. 3 is a sectional detail taken substantially along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

As a preferred embodiment of the instant invention, the drawings illustrate principal parts pairs of large sprockets I4, [5 and small idler r sprockets l6, I! located adjacent the ends of the machine. These sprockets are mounted on shafts i8 Journaled in bearings I9 formed irf a frame 2i which may be the main frame of the machine.

One of the shafts I9 is a drivingshaft for operating the conveyor chains in unison, and this shaft may be rotated in any suitable manner. Along the upper run of the conveyor the chains are supported on longitudinal tracks 22, the ends of which'are secured to the main frame.

During the passage of the blanks through the machine their side seam edges are treated with e the acid deoxidizing medium and are then rinsed oil! with water-so that no actionother than the v the liquid so that the liquid when discharged onto the sheets will flow in a smooth even stream without splashing.

'. Another object is the provision in a machine of this character of anti-splash grid devices located adjacent the drip edges of the sheets wherein the liquid deoxidi'zing medium flowing from the sheets is guarded and is directed into the 'drip tank along sharp edge surfaces which break up the liquid stream and liberate any air therein and prevent splashingv of'the liquid thereby protecting the portions of the sheets which are not to be treated. Y

Numerous other objects and advantages of the deoxidizing action will take place. The acid is contained in a drip tank 25 which is located directly below the path of travel of the blanks and which is secured to the machine frame 2|. This acid is heated preferably by a heat pipe 20 located in the tank.

The acid from the tank 25 is drawn oil by way of admin-pipe 28 threaded in the bottom of the tank, and is circulatedin any suitable manner through. a pipe line 21 connecting with a manifold 28 located above the path blanks. There is one of these manifolds on each side of the machine so that both side seam edges of each blank may be treated as the blanks travel invention will be apparent as it is better undeb 5 through the of travel of the Acid received in the manifold 28 is discharged therefrom under a slight pressure of approximately one pound per square inch by way of a plurality of nozzles 29 which project from the bottom of the manifold. These nozzles are located above and in vertical alignment with the side seam edges of the blanks A moving along below them.

mitted to be discharged with the acid from the nozzles 29 will cause an irregular stream which will splash the acid on surfaces of the blank. other than the side seam edges.

In order to overcome this splashing, the manifold 28 is provided with a vent.hole 32 (Fig. 2) in the top of the manifold which communicates with the interior of a vent pipe 33; e end of this p pe is threaded into the manifol and'the other end extends down into the drip tank 25 and terminates just below the surface level of the acid in the tank.

Hence as the acid enters the manifold 28, any air which is entrained with it rises to the top of the manifold and escapes from the vent hole 32 with a small stream of the acid which, continually passes through this vent hole. The

stream of acid containing theentrained air flows through the vent pipe 33 and is thus returned to the drip tank. The terminal end of the vent pipe being below the surface'of the acid in the 'tank prevents'splashing of the vented acid as it enters the acid in the tank.

, The remaining acid in the manifold thus freed, of its entrained air flows from the nozzles 29 in a smooth gentle manner and in a substantially straight line so that it covers only the side seam edges of the blanks moving under them. Thus is prevented splashing of the acid from this source onto otherportions 'of the blanks.

In cooperation with the freeing of the entrained air in the acid for preventing splashing on the blanks as the acid flows onto and across them, provision is made for further preventing splashing of the acid as it leaves the blanks. For this purpose there is a plurality of vertical grid plates 35 arranged in spaced and parallel order in the drip tank 25 and located directly' under thepath of travel of the side seam portions of the moving blanks. These'plates ex- Thus as the acid flows of! the bottom edges of the moving blanks A during the deoxidizing treatment, it falls down onto the grid plates 38. The acid readily flows down along the plates into the acid in the drip tank 25. These plates are spaced preferably one-sixteenth of an inch apart and hence with this close spacing the falling acid is broken up readily into small divisions, the

plates serving as guard walls which protect the blanks from the acid as it falls into the drip tank.

As the acid drains off the lower edges of the blanks, small drops of the acid have a tendency to collect and run along this edge toward the middle of the blank. These drops are stopped by the'inner grid plate 35 which engages against the blank edge. Drops of acid stopped by this plate run down alongthe plate into the drip tank and are prevented thereby from spreading over untreated portions of the blanks.

The rinsing water which is used to rinse oil the treated portions of the blanks A is retained in tend the full length of the drip tank and are secured in the ends oi the tank. The outer plate is also secured to a bracket 38 which extends inwardly from the machine frame.

The grid plates 35. are maintained in spaced relation by triangular spacing blocks 31 (see also Fig. 3) positioned so that one apex of each block points upwardly to present a sharp edge to the falling acid. The platesand the spacing blocks are tied together by longbolts 3| which extend through the entire assembly. The upper edges of all the plates excepting the outer and inner ones are spaced below the blanks A. The upper edges of these plates are' beveled to present sharp liquid cutting edges to the failing acid. The lower edges of the plates extend down into the jacid in the drip tank. The upper edge of the innermost plate is also sharp and engages the blank.

merely a preferred a water tank 4| (Fig. 1) which is a separated continuation of the acid drip tank 25. Water in this tank is circulated by way of a pipe line 42 from the tank to a manifold '43 in the same manner as in the acid drip tank installation. The water is also heated by a heater located in the water tank- The'water manifold 0 is a separated continuation of the acid manifold 2. and is provided with a plurality of depending water nozzles 45 which operate in a manner similar to the acid nozzles 29..

In this rinsing water ,portion of the machine a vent tube identical with the vent tube 33 is used to free the water streams issuing from the nozzles 45 from the air entrained with the water. Grid plates also identical with those used in the acid driptank 25 are used in the water tank 4| to prevent splashing of the water onto untreated portions of the blanks. Since these devices are identical with those already explained it is believed unnecessary to explain them/ again in connection with thisend of the machine. I

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, audit will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of itsmaterial advantages, the form hereinbefore described being embodiment thereof. I claim:

1. In a machine for treating metallic sheets, the combination of a drip tank containing a liquid deoxidizing medium, a conveyor movable across said drip tank for'carrying sheets to be treated alonga predetermined path of travel, a nonle disposed adjacent the Path of travel of said sheets for playing a-stream of the deoxidizing medium onto a predetermined -portion of said moving sheets, means for freeing air entrained in the deoxidizing medium so that the medium will flow in a smooth gentle stream across the sheets without splashing onto portions of the sheet not to be treated, and a plurality of spaced and parallel grid plates disposed in said drip tank and in alignment with the deoxidizing medium flowing oil said sheets to carry the used medium gently down into the drip tank without splashing portions of the sheet not to be treated.

2. In a machine for treatingmetallic sheets,

' the combination of a drip tank containing a liquid deoxidizing medium, a conveyor movable across said drip tank for carrying sheetsv to be treated along a predetermined path of travel, a nozzle disposed adi acent the path of travel of said sheets for playing a stream of the deoxidizing medium onto a predetermined portion of said moving sheets, means for freeing air entrained in the deoxidizing medium so that the medium will flow in a smooth gentle stream across the sheets without splashing onto portions of the sheet not to be treated, a plurality of spaced and parallel grid plates disposed in said drip tank and in alignment with the deoxidizing medium flowing oi! said sheets to carry the used medium gently down into the drip tank without splashing portions of the sheet not treated, said grid plates having sharp beveled upper edges for cutting without splashing the liquid medium as it falls onto them, and a plateadjacent said grid plates engaging the drip edge of said moving sheets for wiping oil drops of the medium which run laterally of the sheets and for carrying them down into the drip tank without splashing.

3. In a machine for treating metallic sheets; the combination of a drip tank containing a liquid deoxidizing medium, a conveyor movable across said drip tank for carrying sheets to be treated along a predetermined path of travel, a nozzle disposed adjacent the path of travel of said sheets for playing a stream of the deoxidizing medium onto a predetermined portion of said moving sheets, means for freeing air entrained in the deoxidizing medium so that the medium will flow in a smooth gentle stream across the sheets without splashing onto portions of the sheet not to be treated, a plurality of spaced and parallel grid plates disposed in said drip tank and located in alignment with the deoxidizing medium flowing off the sheets to gently carry the used medium down into the drip tank without splashing portions of the sheet not treated, and spacer blocks disposed between said grid plates for retaining them in closely spaced relation, said spacer blocks being of triangular shape with an apex pointing into the direction of flow of the falling deoxidizing medium to cut the liquid without splashing as it is carried down into the drip tank. I

4. In a machine for metallic sheets,

' the combination of a drip tank containing a liquid deoxidizing medium, a conveyor movable across said drip tank for carrying sheets to be treated along a predetermined path of travel, a nozzle disposed adjacent the path of travel of said sheets for playing a stream of the deoxidizing medium onto a predetermined'portion of said moving sheets, a manifold to which said nozzle is attached for receiving the deoxidizing medium from said tank and for delivering it to said nozzle, said manifold having a vent hole in the top thereof for bleeding off air entrained in the medium so that the medium will flow from said nozzle in a smooth gentle stream across the sheets without splashing onto portions of the sheet not to be-treated, a vent pipe for carrying away the vented air, and a plurality of spaced and parallel grid plates disposed in said drip tank and located in alignment with the deoxidizing medium flowing oil? the sheets to gently carry the used medium down into the drip tank without splashing portions of the sheet not treated.

5. In a machine for treating metallic sheets, the combination of a drip tank containing a liquid deoxidizing medium, a conveyor movable across said drip tank for carrying sheets to be treated along a predetermined path of travel, anozzle disposed adjacent the path of travel of said sheets for playing a stream of the deoxidizing medium onto a predetermined portion of said movin sheets, a manifold to which said nozzle is attached for receiving the deoxidizing medium from said tank and for delivering it to said nomle, said manifold having a vent hole in the top thereof for bleeding of! a stream of the medium containing air entrained in the medium so that the medium issuing from said nozzle will flow across the sheets in a steady gentle stream without splashing onto untreated portions of the sheets, a vent pipe leading from said vent hole to the drip tank for carrying the vented medium into the tank without splashing, and means in said drip tank for receiving the medium as it drips oi! the treated sheets and for gently carrying the used medium down a into the'drip tank without splashing untreated portions of the sheets. I

' CUS'I'IB S. WOOLFORD. 

